Improvement in casting car-wheels



PATENT GEEICE.

JOSIAH W. ELLS,V CF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CASTING CAR-WHEELS.

Speeication forming part of Letters Patent No. 117 ,397, da'ted July 25, 187.1.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OSIAH W. ELLs, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Method of Making .Gast-Metal Car-Wheels, of which the following is a speciication:

My invention relates to the operation of making cast-metal car-wheels 5 and consists in givingform to and condensing the metal by percussion while in a molten or semi-fluid condition. And this I accomplish by pouring it into an open stationary die, of requisite shape to form the face of the Wheel, and bringing another die, formed to give shape to the back of the wheel, suddenly upon said molten metal, by which operation the fluid or semi-Huid mass will be forced with equal pressure in all directions within the space between the dies so as to completely lill it, whereby a welldefined cast will be instantly produced, having a smooth and even surface, and of such uniform density throughout as to be undisturbed by unequal shrinkage.

Figure l represents a side elevation of a vertically-acting steam-hammer, with dies for making car-wheels attached, which dies are shown in section; Fig. 2, front elevation of the same, the dies in this case being closed; Fig. 3, face of the stationary die; Fig. 4, longitudinal vertical section of the lower die and anvil, with carwheel, shown in section, raised from its mold by the elevation of its core-bar.

To make cast-metal car-wheels, either corrugated, waved, spoked, ribbed, or plain, I lirst construct a pair of strong metallic dies, one to be movable and the other stationary. The lower or stationary one, A, is to be of the exact form required to give shape to the face of the intended wheels. Encircling the face of this die A, and extending above its flange-forming part c, is a low vertical wall, T, and into the space circumscribed by this wall the upper or movable die M, shaped to give form to the back of the wheel, is made to fit. The lower die A is to rest upon an appropriate anvil, D, and secured thereto, while the movable die M is attached to the piston R of a vertically-acting steam-hammer engine, or to a drop-hammer working in guides, the two dies being so arranged with relation to each other as that the movable die M will, without fail, in its perpendicular descent, enter the space embraced within the circular wall T around the face of the stationary die A. A stout iron rod, constituting a core-bar, S, of requisite diameter to form the eye of the wheel, stands upright through the anvil D and the center of the lower die A. The upper part of this core-bar S, or so much thereof as extends into the die A, is conical to admit of its being easily withdrawn from the metal that may be poured around it, its lower end being jointed to a long lever, E, so pivoted to the anvil D as that, by its means, the bar S may be lifted or lowered in aver-tical line, or the elevation and depression of said bar may be accomplished by a properly-airain ged screw, or by means of a hydraulic lift,77 or by the action of steam, or by any other known mechanical con trivance.

The dies A M, on being constructed and made to act with respect to each other, as shown and described, and the parts necessary to their perfeet working made complete, the face of the stationary die A and the projecting conical portion ofthe core-bar S are to be painted over with a thin coating of some non-conductor of heat for the purpose of preventing the molten metal from adheringto the dieA, or a current of water,- steam, or air may be passed through cavities in said die, which, by keeping it cool, will answer the same purpose. When everything is ready a sufficient quantity of molten-fluid metal to form a wheel is to be poured into the stationary die A, which, being open, enables the operator or person in charge to direct the molten-fluid metal uniformly and of even depth over its face. As soon as a proper quantity has been poured in the upper movable die M isto be immediately brought down or allowed to drop so that its face will strike a sharp powerful blow upon the iiuid or semi-duid mass, giving a perfect impression of the dies therer to, and, as the encircling wall T prevents any escape, the molten metal is not only forced into the shape of a wheel, but greatly condensed, without aws or other defects. Should air likely to interfere with the casting collect in the cavities of the movable die by rea-son of its rapid descent, one or more minute holes may be made through it, enabling such air to escape. As soon as the cast cools sufficiently to retain its shape a number or succession of blows may be imparted to it by the movable die, which will further increase its smoothness and density, after which the upper die may be raised and the outer end of the longleverE depressed, which operation will cause e tion in the matter of making additional Wheels.

the core-bar S to ,lift the Wheel above its mold or out of the bottom die Ain the manner represented in Fig. 4, so that, by placing an iron bar across the face of this die and underneath the w heel, the core S may be Withdrawn by a reversal of the lever E, thus freeing the Wheel to allow of its removal, leaving the dies for repeated ac- The Wheel as it leaves the dies, and While red hot7 may be placed on a mandrel, and its rim, Which comprises its tread7 and flange, hardened by rotating it in Water, or, if desirable, the Wheel may be annealed by placing it in a furnace for that purpose.

JOSIAH W. ELLS. 

